Social Action at the Heart of JLGB this Purim

On Radlett High Street a young boy dressed as Harry Potter embraces a friend clad in a green Power Ranger costume. Draped over their arms are bags full of similarly ridiculous costumes which the unlikely duo are donating on behalf of their JLGB weekly group to underprivileged communities in Israel. Similar events occur all over the UK ranging as far as a pirate in Glasgow to a witch in Leeds, as JLGB weekly groups unite in this social action project.

The project was headed by Shir and Asmara this year’s JLGB Israeli Emissaries, the shinshinim, to embrace the giving atmosphere of Purim and Israeli good deed day, Yom Maasim Tovim. Combining the two celebrations, the shinshinim challenged JLGB members to an inter-weekly groups costume competition and to donate old costumes to vulnerable communities in Israel. The initiative was promoted across social media using the hashtag #JLGBPurim with Mill Hill crowned as the best dressed. The project accumulated exceptional results with the donation box overflowing with costumes of all shapes and sizes.

Elsewhere, an unidentifiable man in a goofy hat with a big wigged female delivered Purim Packages to residents at Jewish Blind and Disabled. These contained food parcels made by JLGB HQ together with Purim cards made by Year 8 Student at Hasmonean High School for Girls as part of their Yoni Jesner Awards. The residents were so grateful for their Purim gifts with one member recording a message on JLGBHQ snapchat asking whoever made her card to come forward so she could thank them in person. Another resident was a former JLGB member from the Stanmore Drum and Fife band. She was incredibly proud that JLGB were still so active in the community and participating in social action.